Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It's been awhile. I know, I know, I'm a bad Blogger. What's even worse is I'm coming back and blogging about a yummy, fun treat... and since it's all in good fun, there's no need for nutritional information, right?

I get the regular emails from Food Network and I happened to be bored at work one day so I checked out the Halloween special. This recipe caught my eye. I didn't want to hand out candy to the neighborhood hellions, but the neighbor kids are sweet. They deserved something. How perfect!

I set off to make these creepy crawlies only to find that pull and peel black licorice is almost impossible to find. I had to cut regular licorice. I must confess that the only spiders that had legs were the ones that went to the neighbor boys... the ones that stayed home were legless. We don't like black licorice anyway, so that worked well!

The caramel was delicious, but it spread WAY too much. I let it cool longer than the recipe said, in hopes that it would solidify a bit, but no such luck. Eh well. A yummy, gooey, creepy crawly mess!

-Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. -Mound 30 small clusters of pecans (3 or 4 pecans each) spaced a couple inches apart on the pan. -Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar. -Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a deep pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. -Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, (305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes). -Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. -Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla (be careful, the mixture will bubble up). -Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage (240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more). -Immediately remove from the heat and cool for a minute. -Ladle a couple tablespoons of warm caramel over some of the nut clusters, to make the spider bodies. -Quickly press 6 pieces of licorice into the warm caramel to make the legs. -Repeat with the remaining caramel and licorice. If caramel hardens, warm over very low heat. ) Let spiders cool 15 minutes. -Melt the chocolate using either a microwave or double broiler.-Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each spider. -Sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired. Let cool until firm.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

We love spicy foods. Love them. This recipe appeared in my inbox and was immediately saved. We don't keep snapper in the house, but tilapia was a very nice substitution. Yet another fast, easy meal that's a keeper! The fish was nice and flaky with a nice twist to our normal broiled tilapia.

In my quest to make Jackson his own dog treats, I came across a new recipe for rather simple dog biscuits. I love coming across recipes with everyday ingredients, especially since I make a lot of these treats late at night and they're not pre-planned very well. This made a LOT Of treats, but froze relatively well. The only thing about them is that they have a tendency to grow a bit of mold (ick!), even when in an air-tight container, so they're best stored in the fridge.

DIRECTIONS-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.-In a mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. -Insert the beater for the mixer and stir in parsley, garlic, broth, honey, and egg. -Gradually mix in flour. After approximately 2 cups, switch from the beater to a dough hook. Continue adding flower until you have formed a stiff dough. -Shape the dough into a ball, and roll to 1/4-inch thick. -Cut dough into desired shapes for biscuits.-Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1/4 inch apart. -Bake for 30 minutes. =Remove from oven and turn over. -Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. -Let cool completely before storing.

I'm on version three now, and while this is probably my least favorite, it's still a decent meal. Perfect for Fridays during Lent or another night when you want a meatless meal. The sauce is quite thin, which I didn't care for, but the actual shell itself is pretty good. Next time I make these I need to adjust the sauce to make it thicker! I did freeze half of these and they did very well. I'm starting to love these cook once, eat twice meals!!

-Cook shells as directed on the box.-Preheat oven to 350 degrees-Meanwhile, combine the flour, milk, dill and salt until smooth. -Boil flour mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened.-Pour 1-1/4 cups of sauce into a 2 quart baking dish and set aside. -Sautee celery and onion in a skillet until tender. -Add bread, tuna, salad dressing and cheese. Mix well.-Fill cooked shells with tuna mixture and place open side up in a baking dish. -Drizzle remaining sauce on top.-Cover and bake until bubbly, approx. 25-30 minutes.

Yummmmm. When a lot of people think of this recipe, they think of Giada's version. I decided to do a slight twist and bake them to eliminate the EVOO. The result? A nice, yummy pork chop! This meal is perfect for the nights when you need something quick and easy.

DIRECTIONS: -Mix parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in a bowl. Pour onto a plate for easy coating.-Whisk egg if needed, dip each of the 4 chops into egg.-Coat each chop with the bread/cheese mixture, place in baking dish.-Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Who knew that something so easy could be so good? This is the perfect quick meal and the leftovers reheat well. It is originally a Weight Watchers recipe, but the possibilities of modifications are endless. I have heard of people adding broccoli, taking out the chicken all together, etc. We have just made the original recipe, maybe some day I'll get a little more adventurous and creative! I apologize for the poor picture, next time I make these I need to remember to get a good one!

DIRECTIONS: -Place each biscuit into a muffin pan. -Press the biscuits into the holes (and up the sides) to form cups. -In a bowl, combine chicken, soup, cheese, parsley, and pepper. Mix well. -Spoon evenly into cups. -Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

I needed another use for my stand mixer besides dog treats and the typical meatloaf and potatoes. I came across a recommendation for this recipe and needless to say we were not disappointed! I've made these twice now, and where it says butter, you really do need to use butter. I ran out the second time I made these and they weren't nearly as good. They're a far cry from a healthy breakfast, but a delicious treat every once and awhile!

These have been adapted to not use a bread machine. Please click on the link below for the version using a bread machine. Also, I have frozen these individually and when ready, thawed them in the fridge and baked them the next morning. They are delicious, but not quite as good as fresh ones! I typically will make the dough on a Saturday afternoon, refrigerate the individual rolls and bake on Sunday morning.

DIRECTIONS-Dissolve yeast in warm milk, let sit for 10 minutes. -Slowly add in eggs, margarine, salt, and sugar. Mix well.-Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and when the dough gets to be somewhat thick, switch to the dough hook to finish mixing and kneading.-Let dough knead for approximately 5 minutes or until a firm ball is formed.-Remove bowl and cover; let dough rise in a warm area for approximately 1 hour. -After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. -In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. -Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. -Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. -Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. -Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. (At this point you may refrigerate.)-Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. If rolls have been refrigerated, this may take longer.-Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). -Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. -While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. -Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Not the fish, but the dog treats! It was time to switch things up a bit, poor Jackson was getting a tad sick of the first treats I made. Although he loves peanut butter, the poor guy needs some variety too... how about some apples mixed in!

DIRECTIONS-Place oats and whole wheat flour in mixing bowl. -Add peanut butter and minced apples. -Blend together and add water. -Keep adding enough water until a thich batter is produced.-Place on floured counter and roll out, about 1/2 inch thick. -Cut out into shapes with desired cookie cutter.-Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cookies are crisp.

DIRECTIONS-In a large skillet prepare the bacon until crispy then set aside. -To the skillet add the chopped onion, then the chicken, then half of the BBQ sauce. -When the chicken is done use a fork to shred. -Add remaining BBQ sauce, cilantro and crispy bacon (crumbled). -Lay out the pizza dough and cut in 2. -Spread the shredded chicken mixture over half of one of the dough pieces. -Top with shredded cheese then fold the other half of dough over. -Use a fork to seal edges. Repeat for second calzone. -Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

DIRECTIONS-Preheat the grill for low heat. -In a bowl, mix the blue cheese, butter, and chives. Set aside. -In a separate bowl, mix the black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. -Rub the steak with olive oil. -Coat both sides of the meat with the spice mixture, and rub in by hand or press with a spatula. -Lightly oil the grill grate. -Place meat on the grill, and cook 10 to 15 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. (Grill to rare or medium rare for best flavor.)-Remove from grill, and slice lengthwise into thin strips. -Top with a large dollop of blue cheese butter, and serve.

I have a new hobby: making treats for my four legged child! Jackson has definitely changed our lives, I can't imagine not having a dog now! How can you resist this sweet face?

There is no way I could make these without the help of my handy dandy stand mixer, that's for sure... I have modified the directions to be for the mixer. The treats call for so much flour and tend to be dry. The good thing about Jackson is he'll eat just about anything... even slightly crispy! I figured it would be best to start out with peanut butter treats since that's his favorite.

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. -In the mixer bowl, combine dry ingredients.-Slowly add milk and peanut butter, mixing well.-Knead with the dough hook until well blended and the dough forms a large ball. -Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes. -Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown. -Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Ok, so it's rolled. The pepperoni and cheese bread is easy to make and break away from the regular old pizza routine. It's great because it allows dipping and endless possibilities for ingredients. We chose to dip it in pizza sauce which completed our unique pizza experience. This recipe is so versatile that it could be thinly sliced and served as an appetizer.

DIRECTIONS-Preheat oven to 350. -Roll out bread dough and sprinkle with mozzerella and parmesean cheeses, place pepperoni (as much as desired) on top of the cheese. -Carefully roll the bread dough into a cylinder shape. -Pinch ends and top to seal. -Brush top and sides of loaf with egg wash.-Top loaf with Italian Seasoning-Make a few diagonal slices in top of loaf for air to escape while cooking. -Bake at 350 for 20 min. -Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

There's one thing I absolutely dislike doing when it comes to chicken: rolling it. There never seems to be a good way to roll it and get all of the ingredients to stay neatly inside. Whoever thought of this idea is brilliant... let's make a casserole out of chicken cordon bleu!

I have made this two ways, once with the cream cheese and once with Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb in place of the cream cheese. Both are delicious, but we prefer the Laughing Cow version.

-Spray a casserole dish with a non stick spray. -For the first layer lay out half the chicken. Sprinkle with a small amount of breadcrumbs. -For the next layer spread cream cheese over 2 swiss cheese halves and lay over chicken. -On top of the swiss cheese lay out ham. -Next is another layer of chicken, topped with bread crumbs and another slice of swiss cheese. -Pour a small amount of chicken broth around the edges so they don't dry out. -Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Check to be sure that the BOTTOM layer of chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Who doesn't love some good Mexican? Enchiladas are typically a pretty involved meal to make, but I knew when I found this recipe I had to try it. My husband makes this meal each time it's on the menu... it's a little messy but absolutely delicious!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Cream cheese and chicken? I made a funny face when I first heard of this, but man is this an easy and delicious meal! This is perfect served with rice and steamed or roasted veggies.

When I brought this in to work the next day, I had 3 people ask me if it came from the back of a Campbell's can. No... sorry! I told them it was as about as easy as opening up that can but tasted much better :)

DIRECTIONS- Put chicken in large pan with a little bit of olive oil- Add red pepper flakes and pressed garlic (I used minced)- After 1-2 min, add white wine to deglaze the pan and then add ¾ can chicken broth- Bring to a boil then simmer 20-25 min until chicken is cooked- Remove chicken and place in a covered dish; keep warm- Mix flour with remaining broth and add to pan; mix- Add cream cheese, mix until thick and bubbly- Pour sauce over chicken

Who ever knew the jumbo pasta shells could be so versatile? I came across this recipe in someone's blog and knew it was going to be a good change from the typical pasta with sauce. I was a little skeptical, but these were really, really good. Definitely one to make again. I baked half and froze half, following the directions in the first stuffed shells post.

Ever since I really got into baking and cooking in the middle of 2007, my dream was to have a Kitchen Aid mixer. I was in awe of the things I could make with it that were just really too labor intensive to make by hand. Our kitchen is just so small that there was no place to store it, so I held back the urge to get one. The other thing is that these suckers are expensive, so it would be nice to save for one.

Flash forward to December 2007 and an amazing deal on Amazon.com. I happened to be looking through their Friday sales when I came across the Pro600 Series for $209.99. What? $210 for the BIG mixer? NO WAY. I talked to my husband and the deal was if I would keep it in the basement, I could get one. There was just no room in the kitchen to store one... that was the biggest thing.

All I can say is WOW. What on earth did I do before this White Wonder came into my life? Just a few things I have made with this machine:

Chocolate chip cookies have so many variations if you take the time to search through recipes. I can honestly say I have never made any other chocolate chip cookie besides my dad's recipe. He loves chocolate chip cookies. I used to make them so much growing up I had the recipe memorized and could make them in my sleep.

The trick to making cookies is to get them to that desired doneness. For my husband, his desired doneness is just baked long enough there's a slight crunch to the outside, but you can still have some of that doughy softness when you bite in. Mission accomplished with my Pampered Chef baking sheet and 12 minutes on 350 degrees!

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.-Beat the Crisco and the eggs until well mixed.-Add the salt, baking soda, and both types of sugar.-Mix well.-Fold in the chocolate chips.-Slowly add flour and mix thoroughly.-Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet-Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

The Crock Pot. Now, it's a tossup between whether this or my lovely KA mixer is my best friend, but today's decision is the crock pot. There are some days where life just gets in the way of being able to cook for 45 or even 15 minutes. The solution? Toss stuff in the crock pot, press some buttons, and dinner's done. There's a reason why it's called "fix it and forget it"!

I have a whole Word document full of crock pot recipes which I skimmed through last weekend while planning my menu for the week. I needed a beef recipe and came across this one. Honestly, it was a little bland... I need to go find the recipe for the fabulous chili my husband made while we were camping a couple months ago and figure out what spices I can add to this. I'll make it again, but with a twist!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

My stepmom introduced my family to these amazing bars several years ago and I had always wanted to get the recipe, but never had a reason to make them... until now. We had a cookout at our house and I had a box of Special K in the pantry. How convenient! These are to die for, definitely good if you need that sugar fix. Just a warning... these are not diet friendly!!! :)

A little twist on lasagna and pasta goes a long way! These stuffed shells are a little tedious to make, but I made all 12 and froze half of them individually before bagging them all up. They thaw well, cook well... who doesn't love some good pasta?!

-Heat oven to 400 degrees. -Spray large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. -Cook pasta shells according to directions and drain.-Cook chicken as desired (I used the George Foreman and seasoned it with Penzey's Italian Seasoning) and shred. -Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. -Combine chicken and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes. -Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.-Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. -Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish. -Pour remaining sauce over shells. -Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until filling is lightly browned. -Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Yeast is a scary animal. Most people hate dealing with it. For some reason, I don't mind it... yes, I'm weird like that. There is nothing more exciting to me than to see the dough rise and know I at least did something right. Hey, it may not taste the greatest, but at least I got my dough to rise!

Yet again I was on the cooking board (surprise, surprise!) and Amber posted this recipe. I figured it would be the perfect side to any dinner, I need to give it a shot! I had to do the kneading by hand... but it worked. The directions below are for a mixer, but everywhere it says mix with a mixer it's easily done by hand. Who couldn't use a good arm workout??!

I also shaped the rolls and froze half of them before allowing them to rise. Thaw the dough in the fridge and let rise as noted below if you're taking them from the freezer.

Yummmmmmmm...

A couple hints on getting dough to rise:-I've found it rises best in the oven. Heat the oven to 150 or 200 degrees, then turn it off. Put the covered bowl in the oven and let rise.-If it's dry in your house, simmer some water on the stove (don't bring to a boil) and pour into a cake pan. Put the pan under the bowl in the oven and let the dough rise.

DIRECTIONS- Place water and milk in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until liquids reach (110 degrees F/45 degrees C). -Pour liquids into mixer bowl; add sugar and stir to dissolve. -Add yeast and let set for 10-20 minutes to proof (the mixture will be foamy).- Attach the bowl to the mixer and mix on low speed adding the salt, 1/3 cup butter and egg. -Once well mixed add in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. -Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. -With the mixer; knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into desired shape. -Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. -Gently brush the tops of the rolls with half of the remaining softened butter.- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake the rolls for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. -Upon removing the rolls from the oven brush them with remaining softened butter.

There's nothing better than a good bowl of soup on a cold, dreary day. I came across this recipe on a cooking board I frequent, but when I looked at the ratings on Cooking Light I was a little skeptical. I knew I could trust the girls who posted the recipe, so I gave it a shot.

Talk about a good potato soup! This was extremely easy to make and made quite a bit. A one cup portion is very filling. Definitely one I'll make again!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Ahhh, spaghetti and meatballs. I had never made homemade sauce before, but we LOVED this sauce. It is a staple now. Both the sauce and the meatballs freeze very well, which is a definite plus! I freeze the meatballs individually then package them up, and for the sauce it's frozen in quart size bags, which are perfect for a quick 2 person meal.

DIRECTIONS-Heat the EVOO in a large saucepan. -Cook the onions until soft. -Add the garlic, and cook until it is fragrant. -Add the wine and cook until it has almost evaporated. -Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, water, and seasonings. -Bring to a light boil. -Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. -At end of cooking, add butter 1 Tbs at a time to round out the flavors and cut the acidity, tasting as you go.

DIRECTIONS-Preheat oven to 400*-Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook about 2-3 minutes before adding parsley and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes more and set aside to cool.-Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and milk in large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.-After 10 minutes, add the onion mixture, beef, egg, parmesan, salt, basil and pepper to the bread crumb bowl. -Mix well, but not for too long or you will toughen the meatballs. -Form into 1-1.5" balls and place in a pan coated with cooking spray. -Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until done. -Add cooked meatballs to pasta sauce and simmer a little, while pasta is cooking.

I admit. I don't like to eat my veggies. I have the most awful time getting in vegetables throughout the day. I first tried this recipe at Christmas 2006 and fell in love. Up until then, I had hated green beans. Leave it to garlic to add the zing I need! This can also be made up to a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Don't put the bread crumbs on until ready to bake.

Who doesn't love an easy meal? Chicken, tomatoes, garlic... yum! I love regular bruschetta, so when I came across this recipe courtesy of MrsAllmyer on the Nest I knew I had to try it! I served it over some spaghetti, using the extra tomato mixture for sauce.

-Bread just the top of the chicken tenders - dredge in flour, dip in egg, coat with bread crumbs. -Place the chicken breaded side up in a casserole dish lightly sprayed with olive oil. -Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. -Start a pot of boiling water. -While the chicken is baking, drain the diced tomatoes and set the liquid aside. -To the tomatoes add the fresh basil, crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. -Drizzle with olive oil and let rest for about 10 minutes (or until chicken is done). -While the chicken is cooking and the tomatoes are resting, drop the angel hair pasta in boiling water. -After the first 15 minutes pull the chicken out and sprinkle with half of mozzarella cheese. -Put back in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and breading is crispy. -Top the chicken with the tomato mixture and put back in oven until the tomatoes are heated through. -Serve with angel hair pasta and sauce.-To make a sauce for the angel hair, put half of the tomato mixture in a food processor and added the reserved liquid from the can and just heated through.

Who doesn't love a good pizza? I found this recipe on Cooking Light and was a little skeptical at first, especially since I couldn't remember ever having something that wasn't a "traditional" pizza. This is now one of our favorites... it's easy to make, pretty healthy, and best of all... absolutely delicious! This recipe makes 1-16" pizza or we have divided it into 3 mini-pizzas and frozen one. It freezes well!

-Preheat oven to 400°.-Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. -Place crust on a baking sheet; brush vinegar mixture over crust. -Top with chicken, tomato, and mushrooms; sprinkle with cheeses and green onions.

About Me

My husband and I were married on 7/22/06 on a cruise ship... we now live in NC with a black lab named Jackson and are enjoying life! Unfortunately this includes the slow process of me learning to cook, and as he would confirm, many very dry chicken breasts and things that, well... left much to be desired. We're trying to eat *relatively* healthy, so you'll see nutritional information at the bottom of each post!

A Quick Note on Nutritional Information

Any and all nutritional information that you see in this blog is figured using http://www.sparkrecipes.com/. I hand enter in all of my ingredients, customize it to the specific brands when necessary, and calculate.